Battery terminal



Feb. 13, 1934. H. H, HENRY A BATTERY TERMINAL Original Filed June 9,1932 E V ,W 7

Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY TERMINALHarry H. Henry, Chicago, lll., assignor to Monark Battery Company, Inc.,Chicago, Ill.,

poration of Delaware Original application June 9, 1932, Serial No.

The invention relates to methods of producing battery terminals and is adivision of my copending application Serial No. 616,310, for Batteryterminals, led June 9, 1932.

An object of the invention is to provide improved methods for formingbattery terminals which are equipped with means for preventing them frombeing driven through the walls of the battery when one hammers thereonand with means for preventing them from being angularly displaced aroundtheir longitudinal axes.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the followingdetailed description progresses, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary section taken through abattery which comprises a terminal embodying the invention; Fig 2 is aplan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentarysection illustrating one stage in the manufacture of the improvedbattery terminal shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the structureshown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6is a fragmentary section illustrating another stage in the manufactureof the improved terminal shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a section taken online 7--7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a cast member whichembodies another form of the invention; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectiontaken through a battery to illustrate one stage in the manufacture of aterminal which embodies still another form of the invention; and Fig. 10is a section which illustrates a later stage in the manufacture of' theterminal shown in Fig. 9.

Referring for the present to Figs. l to 7, inclusive, wherein apreferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, the referencecharacter l0 designates generally a terminal of a battery ll whichcomprises a top wall 12 formed from any suitable material. The terminal10 comprises a head-portion 13 and a plate-portion 14 to which thepasted grids or electrodes are burned. Formed integral with theplate-portion lli, is a shank portion 15 providedl with a shoulder 16.At its upper end, the shank 15is provided with an integral outwardlyextending bead or ange 17 which cooperates with the shoulder 16 to holdthe terminal 10 against displacement relative to the wall 12.

The wall l2 is provided with a. downwardly extending flange 18 whichforms a recess 19. Disposed in the recess 19 is a sleeve or tubulargasket 20 which is preferably formed from rubber, or the equivalent. Thesleeve or tubular gasket 20 is preferably formed with an inside diameterwhich is less than the diameter ofl the shank 15, so that when the shankis assembled with the sleeve, the sleeve is compressed and forms a.fluid-tight seal around the shanks.

The shank 15 is preferably provided with integral lugs 22 which engagenotches 23 formed in the top wall 12. The lugs 22 prevent angulardisplacement of the terminal 10 around its vertical or longitudinalaxis.

One method of producing the terminal 10 and assembling it with the topWall 12 of the battery is illustrated in Figs. 3 to 7, inclusive.Referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the terminal 10 in its rststage of manufacture is considerably shorter than it is in its finalstage. It will be noted that the terminal 10 is rst formed with anintegral tapering 'projection 25 at its upper end which projectsslightly above the top wall 12 when the terminal is formed through thesleeve or tubular gasket 20 from the bottom side of the top wall. Afterthe shank 15 has been assembled with the top Wall`12 in the mannerillustrated in Fig. 3, the apertured member or collar 27 is seated onthe upper end of the shank 15 in such manner that it encircles theprojection 25. The collar 27 is preferably cast or formed from the samematerial as the shank 10 and will fuse at a relatively low temperature.It will be noted that the collar 27 is disposed above the notches 23.

After the collar 27 has been assembled with the shank l5, as illustratedin Fig. 3, a mold member 30 is placed upon the top wall 12, asillustrated in Fig. 6. The mold member 30 comprises a mold cavity 31which conforms to the shape of the upper end of the finished orcompleted terminal 10. After the mold has been positioned upon the topwall 12, the collar 27 and the top surface of the shank 15 are subjectedto the heat of an oxyacetylene flame which fuses the collar and also themetal of the upper end ofthe shank. Part of the metal of the collar runsdown the notches 23 to form the lugs 22. Additional metal is then addedto the shank by holding a bar of the proper metal over the mold member,and subjecting it to the oxyacetylene iiame so that the metal fuses andruns down into the mold cavity. The metal in the mold cavity ispreferably subjected to the heat of the flame until the cavity has beenfilled. After the cavity has been filled, the mold member 30 is removedfrom the completed terminal. It is understood, of course, that the metalforming the upper end of the improved terminal is preferably the same asthat employed in the manufacture of the shank portion. This metal fusesat a relatively low temperature.

When the terminal 10 is formed by practising the method illustrated inFigs. 4 to 7, inclusive, the bead 17 is completely and neatly formed atthe upper end of the shank portion 15. In other words, there is nofailure of the fused metal to ilow to all parts of the mold cavity 31.

It will be readily understood that if it is so desired, the notches 23may be omitted from the wall 12, in which event, the metal of the collar27 will not be employed to produce the lugs 22.

Fig. 8 illustrates another embodiment of the invention in which a collar27a is shown, which collar 27a may be employed in place of the collar27. The collar 27a is preferably formed of the same material as thecollar 27. The collar 27a is provided with integral lugs 22a adapted toseat in ,the notches 23 when the collar 27a is assembled with the shank15.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate another embodiment of the invention. Referringrst to Fig. 9, wherein a shank 15b, substantially identical inconstruction with the shank 15 shown in Fig. 3, is assembled with thetop wall 12b of a battery 11b, the top wall 12b being identical with thetop wall 12 shown in Figs. l to 7, inclusive. Thus, the top wall 12b isprovided with notches 23h and a downwardly extending ange 18h. The shankportion 15b projects through a sleeve or tubular gasket 20h, preferablyformed of rubber, or the equivalent. The shank `lll) is formed with ashoulder 16h engageable with the lower end of the sleeve 20h. At itsupper end, the shank 15b is provided with an integral taperingprojection 25h which is identical with the pro jection 25 describedabove.

After the shank 15b. has been assembled with the. top wall 12b, asillustrated in Fig. 9, a mold member 30h is placed upon the top wall 12bas illustrated in Fig. l0. The mold member 30h is provided with a moldcavity substantially identical with the mold cavity 31 described above.The upper end of the shank portion 15b is then subjected to the heat ofan oxyacetylene :dame to fuse it, after which additional metal is addedin the manner described above in connection with the mold 30. It will benoted that the mold cavity 31h is provided with an annular groove 31e atits lower end to form a bead 17h identical with the bead 17 shown inFig. 1. It is understood, of course, that the fused metal flows into thenotches 23h to form the lugs 22h which are identical with the lugs 22described above.

If it is so desired, the notches 23h may omitted from the wall 12b.

A feature of the invention is that the beads 17 and 17h prevent theimproved terminal from being driven through the top wall of the batterywhen a conductor is being clamped thereto. Another advantage of theimproved construction is that the lugs 22 and 22h prevent the terminalfrom being angularly displaced around its vertical or longitudinal axis.Such displacement would, of course, displace the pasted grids orelectrodes in the battery case.

The beads 17 and 17h may be said to provide shoulders which cooperatewith the shoulder i6' and the corresponding shoulder 16h on the shank15b to prevent displacement of the Shanks through the hole of the topwalls. Unless otherwise indicated, the sleeves 20 and 20h will beconsidered, in the appended claims, as parts of the top Walls of thebatteries.

Lerares While I have shown and described certain embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that it is capable of manymodications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdisclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claimall novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view ofthe prlor'art.

I claim:

l. The method of securing a battery terminal to a wall of a batterycase, which comprises forming an aperture in said wall and notches inthe upper periphery of said aperture, inserting a shank member in saidaperture, and molding a. head member on said shank member in such mannerthat a bead and lugs are simultaneously formed integral with said shankmember and said headl member, said bead engaging the outer surface ofsaid wall-and said lugs engaging said notches.

2. The method of forming a battery terminal in the wall of a batterycase, which comprises forming an aperture through said wall and formingnotches in the upper periphery of said aperture, inserting a shankmember in said aperture, forming a metallic collar with projecting lugs,placing said collar on the outer end of said shank member with its lugsextending into said notches, and molding a head member on the outer endof said shank member in such manner that said head member, said collar,and said shank member are welded to each other.

3. The method of securing a' battery terminal to the wall of a batterycase, which comprises forming a tubular aperture in said wall andnotches in the upper periphery of said aperture, inserting an elastictubular rubber member in the lower portion of said aperture and belowsaid notches,l inserting a shank member in said rubber member to expendits against the wall of said aperture, and forming a head member on saidshank member in such a manner that a bead and lugs are formed integralwith said shank member and said head member, said bead engaging theouter surface of said wall and said lugs engaging said notches.

e. The method of securing a battery terminal to the wall of a batterycase, which comprises fo a tubular aperture in said wall and notches inthe upper periphery of said aperture, introducing an elastic rubber tubein the lower portion of said aperture, said tube forming a bottom wallfor said notches, inserting a shank member in said aperture, and moldinga head member on said shank member and in such manner that a bead andlugs are formed integral with said shank member and said head member,

said bead engaging the outer surface of said wall and said lugs engagingsaid notches and resting upon said rubber tube.

5. The method of securing a battery terminal to a wall of a batterycase, which comprises forming an aperture in said wall and notches inthe periphery of said aperture, inserting a shank member in saidaperture, and molding a head member on said shank member in such amanner that a bead and lugs are formed integral with said shank memberand said head member, said bead engaging the outer surface of said walland lugs engaging said notches.

HARRY H. HENRY.

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CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION. 3

Patent No. 1,947,158. February 13, 1934.'

HARRY II. HENRY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,line 118, claim -3, for "expend its" read expand it; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the samemay conform to the record of the Case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of May, A. D. i934.

Bryan M. Battey (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

